Sonic's Weird Birthday
by BearfootTruck
Summary: In this rather unoriginal story, Sonic has another birthday, and plenty of surprises to go along with it. However, even these surprises aren't quite what he expected. Rated T for a Sonouge moment.
1. Cake Blues

One day, Sonic the Hedgehog was going on another one of his daily runs in the Kingdom of Mobius. He was, of course, having a very good time. With a few clouds in the sky and the temperature just right, the Blue Blur was in his own little heaven. Nothing could possibly go wrong for him…could it?

During his run, he passed by Shadow the Hedgehog, his doppelganger.

"Hello, Sonic," said Shadow.

Sonic screeched to a halt and ran back to Shadow. "Yo, what it is, Shadow? Hey, what's with the cake?"

"There's a birthday today," replied Shadow.

"Groovy!" said Sonic. "Whose birthday is it?"

"A-HEM!" Shadow glared at Sonic. Apparently, somebody hadn't been tipped off by the blue frosting on the cake.

"Oh…" said Sonic. "How could I forget!? I must be trippin' today!"

"Happy Birthday…" said Shadow.

"Thanks, man! I appreciate it!"

"…TO THE GROUND!" Shadow threw Sonic's cake on the ground, splattering it all over the place and making it unsuitable for hedgehog consumption.

"Hey, what did ya do that for!?" exclaimed Sonic.

"Just exacting a little revenge," said Shadow.

"Revenge? For what!?"

"Hmph, you just don't get it, do you? For as long as I've known you, you've been taking everything I enjoy and ruining it for me! Now, I'm returning your pathetic little favor!"

"Aw, come on! Ya don't just chuck somebody's birthday cake on the ground just because ya got a beef with them! I mean, I've never done that to ya!"

"That's because we're not yet even. I've still got a long way to go before you've paid your debt to me!"

"I think ya need a hug, man!" Sonic attempted to hug Shadow, but got kicked in the groin. The Blue Blur curled up on the ground in pain.

"That's what I think!" said Shadow. "Enjoy your stupid cake. Hmph!" He ran away.

After a few minutes, Sonic got up and took his hands off his groin. At first, he moved quite slowly because he was still feeling sore. However, he soon got back to his usual super-speedy stride.

* * *

As Sonic continued running, he had an unexpected encounter…

"SURPRISE!" Scratch & Grounder popped out from behind a rock, holding a cake. Sonic skidded to a halt.

"What the…?" said Sonic.

"Happy birthday!" said Scratch & Grounder.

"Wait, how'd ya know it was my birthday?" asked Sonic.

"Are ya kiddin'?" replied Scratch. "Dr. Robotnik knows everything about ya! Buh-HA Ha-HAAAA!"

"OK, but why are you two bozos celebratin' my birthday? Shouldn't ya be tryin' to catch me or somethin'?"

"Hey, we're just takin' a little break!" said Grounder.

"Yeah!" said Scratch. "We may not like you, but we really like your guts, so we're givin' ya this cake! I baked it myself!"

"Hey, don't take all the credit, Klutz-bot!" exclaimed Grounder. "I helped bake that cake, too!"

"You!? You only handed me some eggs & flour!"

"But I also helped mix everything!"

"No ya didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"No ya didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

While Scratch & Grounder were arguing, Sonic decided to take the cake from them. However, just as he was about to grab it, he smelled something funny in the cake, so he backed away and kept running.

It was a good idea, too. As Scratch & Grounder were still squabbling, the bomb within the cake went off. They weren't seriously injured, but they were quite charred and covered in bits of cake.

"Nice job, chicken leg!" said Grounder. "He got away!"

"Ah, stuff it!" retorted Scratch.


	2. Sandwiches & Sousa

Sonic's next encounter was with Knuckles the Echidna, who was holding a gift of some sort, wrapped in metallic green paper.

"Hey, happy birthday, Sonic!" said Knuckles.

"Thanks, Knuckles!" replied Sonic. "Can I open my gift now?"

"Sure, go ahead!"

Sonic unwrapped his gift. It was a…sandwich?

"Heh?" said Sonic. "Ah well, free food's always decent!"

"I made it myself, too!" said Knuckles. Sonic took a bite out of the sandwich, only to bite down on something unusual.

"Knux, this sandwich tastes funny! What's in…" Then, he realized that Knuckles' hand was in the sandwich.

"Hey man, I always thought ya deserved a knuckle sandwich, so here!" Knuckles punched Sonic in the face with his sandwich hand.

"OW!" exclaimed Sonic, who got a sizeable bruise. "That was way uncool!"

Knuckles was laughing. "Come on, lighten up, man! It was only a joke!"

Of course, Sonic was not amused. "Ha ha ha. Smell ya later, Knucklehead!"

The Blue Blur sped away.

* * *

At this time, Sonic was rather deep in thought. His birthday was always an interesting day for him, but this was something else. Sure, there was that whole incident with the Time Eater, but that was different. He was used to defeating evil demons that popped up out of nowhere, but he wasn't used to people wishing him a happy birthday in such unusual ways.

Speaking of unusual ways, Sonic was snapped out of his train of thought when he nearly collided with a marching band in Green Hill Zone. Not just any marching band, either; it was a small parade. They had a couple of floats and a giant banner saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!" The band was playing "Stars & Stripes Forever". Ol' Blue looked at the whole spectacle with awe & confusion.

While he was watching the whole thing, the parade suddenly came to a stop. Two familiar faces descended from one of the floats: Amy Rose & Cream the Rabbit. Amy was dressed in a red cheerleader's outfit, while Cream was wearing a blue dress with the Sonic Team emblem on it.

"Hellooooooo Sonic!" cried Amy, who wasted no time in giving Sonic a big hug & a kiss. Sonic was rather unenthusiastic.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Sonic!" said Cream.

"Chao chao chao!" said Cheese, Cream's pet Chao.

"Whoa…what's with the whole song & dance here?" asked Sonic.

"Cream & I put it together, silly!" replied Amy. "Isn't it fantastic!?"

"It's certainly…different."

"We wanted to do something special for the best person in the world!" said Cream.

"Chao!" said Cheese

"Awwwww…that's really neat!" said Sonic. "Thanks for the spectacle; it looks boss! Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta book." Sonic tried to keep going, but Amy grabbed his arm and prevented him from doing so.

"Hey, where are you going so soon?" asked Amy.

"I got a party to go to, Amy!" replied Sonic.

"Come on, Sonic, don't you wanna ride the float with us?"

"I'd love to, but Tails is probably waitin' for me!"

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun!"

"Yeah, Mr. Sonic!" said Cream. "We want you to come with us! Please?" Both Amy & Cream were giving Sonic innocent, doe-eyed smiles. He didn't really want to come along, but after a few moments, he caved:

"All right, I'll go along with ya for a bit!" Amy, Cream & Cheese all cheered when Sonic agreed to this.

"Then let's go!" said Amy. Once she'd dragged Sonic to the float, the parade started back up again. Amy, Cream & Cheese were all waving to an invisible crowd, while Sonic just stood there with Amy's other arm wrapped around him.

"Come on, Sonic, wave to everybody!" said Amy, who elbowed Sonic.

"But there's nobody else here!" said Sonic.

"It's OK, you can pretend, Mr. Sonic!" said Cream.

"Chao!" said Cheese.

"Ah, what the hey, I guess it can't hurt." So, Sonic waved to the invisible crowd and pretended to be enjoying himself.

(_This is so lame,_) thought Sonic. (_I don't mind Cream or her little bud, but I'm not sure I really wanna hang with Amy for so long. Also, what's the point of this jam if nobody else shows?_)

After a couple more miles with nobody else coming to see the parade, Sonic looked at his watch. Suddenly…

"Well well well, look who's having a birthday today!" Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik showed up in his Eggmobile, which had a couple of Tesla coils attached to it. Accompanying him was Snively, his nephew/assistant, who was driving a hovercar with some sort of generator on the back.

"Hey Robuttnik, how'd ya know it was my birthday today?" asked Sonic.

"Sonic, you fool! I know EVERYTHING about you! Even if I didn't, I also happened to know that today was YOUR birthday because it's really MY birthday today! And since you've been rude enough not to give me any presents, I'll just have to ruin your wretched party! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Go away, Dr. Robotnik!" shouted Amy. "You're not going to rain on our parade!"

"Yeah!" said Cream. "We worked so hard to impress Sonic, and we won't let you ruin it!"

"That's what you think!" said Robotnik. "Snively, is the Egg-O-Matic Raindancer ready?"

"Yes sir!" replied Snively.

"Excellent! Prepare to ruin their festivities! MUHAHAHAHAHA!" Robotnik fired off a few lightning bolts, which didn't hit the parade floats or any of the participants, but came dangerously close. Meanwhile, the sky grew cloudy as Snively fired up the Egg-O-Matic Raindancer.

"Come on!" exclaimed Sonic. "Let's give these turkeys a silver lining!"

"Yeah!" shouted Amy & Cream. Sonic curled up into a ball and Amy hit him with her Piko Piko Hammer, sending him hurtling towards the Eggmobile. Cream took Cheese and hurled him at Snively's hovercar. The force of the impacts was enough to send Robotnik & Snively flying off into the horizon.

"I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT HEDGEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!" shouted Robotnik.

With Robotnik's plot foiled, the sky cleared up again.

"That was dy-no-nite!" exclaimed Sonic.

"Of course it was!" said Amy. "You're the greatest, Sonic!" She gave him another hug & kiss. Cream also gave him a hug.

Once they finished their hug, Cream said, "Three cheers for Sonic! Hip-hip…"

"HOORAY!" shouted everybody.

"Hip-hip…"

"HOOOORAAAAAY!"

"Hip-hip…"

"HOOOOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!"

"Gee…thanks, guys," said Sonic. Then, he looked at his watch again. "Whoa, look at the time! I really gotta book!"

"Wait, where are you going, Sonic?" asked Amy.

"Please don't leave yet!" said Cream. "We're only getting started!"

"Hey, I'd love to ride this tub around, but I gotta go! The guys at Knothole are probably sick of waitin' for me, especially Tails! Up, over and gone!" He broke free of Amy's grasp and kept going.

"Awwww…I was hoping he'd stay!" said Amy.

"Don't feel too bad, Miss Amy," said Cream. "You should be happy that you got to spend time with him today!"

"Chao!" said Cheese.


	3. Better Than Gems

**AN: If you enjoy seeing Sonic with a certain jewel thief, then this is the chapter for you! Otherwise, there is no obligation for you to read.**

* * *

Continuing on his way, Sonic got the feeling that somebody might be following him. He slowly turned his head, but turned it quicker when he felt something tap him on the shoulder. Looking over, he saw Rouge the Bat flying beside him. She waved at Sonic and smiled at him. Ol' Blue put the brakes on, while Rouge set herself on the ground.

"Hey hey, what's shakin', Rouge?" asked Sonic.

"Well, I couldn't help but hear that _somebody_ had a birthday today!" Rouge winked at Sonic.

"Ya don't say! Hmmm…I wonder where this somebody is right now, eh?" Sonic raised his eyebrows at Rouge.

"Happy birthday, Big Blue!" Suddenly, Rouge grabbed Sonic's arm and flew away with him.

"WHOOOAAAAAAA!" exclaimed Sonic. "What are ya doin'!?"

"Hey, it would be rude of me not to give you a present on your birthday, wouldn't it?" said Rouge.

* * *

She took Sonic over to her cabin, located in a secluded area of Hill Top Zone. It was a cozy little place, built of the finest logs available. Inside, there were some well-crafted pieces of wooden & crystal furniture, plus some shelves with gems on display. Rouge had also lit up some candles inside. To be more specific, they were scented candles.

"Whoa…I'm feelin' kinda dizzy…" said Sonic, influenced by the candles. "So…where's my gift?"

"Right this way, Sonic!" Rouge took Sonic's hand and led him over to a hot tub. She didn't take off her clothes before entering, and neither did Big Blue.

"This…is your gift?" asked Sonic. "Well, this is just…just…awesome…"He fell into a sort of trance, with his eyes half-closed and his mouth hanging open, smiling. Rouge wrapped her arm around Sonic.

"You must be so tense from all those adventures you've been having," said Rouge. "I thought it would be a fabulous idea to help you relax! Don't you agree?"

"Yeah…right on…"

"So tell me, how are you enjoying your birthday so far?"

"Ah…it's mellow…"

"That's nice! I'm glad you're having a marvelous time!"

After a few minutes in the effervescent warmth of the hot tub, Rouge said, "Come with me, we're not done yet!"

"Okey dokey…" said Sonic. Rouge helped him out of the tub and grabbed a soft, fluffy towel. After drying both of them up, she took Sonic's hand and led him over to a massage table.

"Would you please lay down over here?" asked Rouge.

"No problemo…" replied Sonic, still in his little trance.

After Sonic got up on the table, Rouge said, "If you don't mind, I'm going to take your shoes and socks off."

"Ain't no thang…" Once Rouge had taken Sonic's shoes and socks off, she removed her white gauntlets and opened up a bottle of massaging oil. After rubbing some of the oil between her hands, she began to massage Sonic's back.

"Holy chili dogs…" said Sonic, "…this is way…past…ahhhhhh" At this point, he had just about lost his ability to speak in anything resembling any sort of spoken language. Surrounded by the exotic scents of the candles and feeling Rouge's soft touch against his skin, he slid deeper into his trance.

"Ooh, you feel so soft!" said Rouge. "Mind if I get a closer look?" Since Sonic didn't respond, Rouge climbed up on the table and straddled Sonic's body as she continued to massage him. She pressed her soft hands against Ol' Blue gently but firmly, slowly and rhythmically working her way up and down every nook and cranny of Sonic's backside. Occasionally, he would let out a soft moan of pleasure.

"I love how soft your quills feel! Do you use any special shampoos or conditioners for that?" Rouge ran her fingers through the quills on Sonic's head. He moaned again as Rouge did this. Working her way back down, Rouge massaged Sonic's shoulders & arms. When she got to his upper arms, she squeezed them.

"My, you have such big muscles! I didn't think a guy like you would be so brawny! No wonder the girls love you so much, hee hee!" Sonic gave no response this time. By now, most of his sensory functions had shut down, so he had little concept of time, space or even who he was. All he knew was that he was in a state of pure ecstasy. Rouge kept kneading his body.

As Rouge was massaging Sonic's legs, she said: "Wow, I guess I was right! You're even more tense than I thought! I guess a guy like you really needed this!" She turned around and started rubbing his feet.

"Ooh, your feet are so nice and soft! I know just what they need…" Rouge lifted up one of Sonic's legs and began licking the sole of his foot and sucking his toes. "Mmmmmm…blue raspberry…" She did the same for the other one. Sonic gave another moan of pleasure as Rouge licked his feet and sucked his toes.

Rouge turned around again, moving her hands up Sonic's legs and concentrating on his back again. As she pressed her soft hands against the center of his lower back, Sonic let out another moan, similar to the ones he'd let out earlier.

Rouge smirked. "Ah…"After a brief pause, she continued to massage that spot. Sonic started to breathe heavily as she did this. Having gotten the desired response from him, Rouge applied a bit more pressure. Sonic's breathing slowly became heavier and heavier. To him, Rouge's touch was absolutely electric. Eventually, his breathing rate topped out, after which it slowed down rather quickly. Once his breathing returned to normal, Sonic let out a contented sigh. His face was glowing red.

Having finished the massage, Rouge climbed off of the table.

"There! Feel better, Big Blue?" Rouge dried her hands and put her gloves back on.

Sonic was still in his trance, so he gave no response. Rouge dried him off and put his shoes & socks back on. "OK, you're all set, honey!"

Once again, Sonic failed to respond, so Rouge snapped her fingers in his face. Finally, the blue speed demon slowly got up and stepped down onto the floor. Because he was still in his trance, he was having some trouble keeping his balance.

"My my, you certainly look like you enjoyed that!" Rouge wrapped her hands around Sonic's shoulders. "You know, Sonic, sometimes I like you more than I like gems!" She gave him a big hug, pressing his head against her ample bosoms.

After finishing her hug, Rouge said, "You're such a good boy! Have a wonderful birthday!" She waved at Sonic and gave him a playful wink. The Blue Blur simply nodded and made his way to the door.


	4. Payments of Gratitude

Outside, Sonic was staggering around slowly, still in that trance of his. He was lucky he didn't fall flat on his face, or worse, into a pit of hazards. After spending a couple more minutes on cloud nine, he blinked his eyes a few times and came out of his little trance.

Sonic rubbed one of his hands on his head. "Phew…that was some gift. I feel like I ate a chocolate cake and died! Now, let's…j…jet, B-b-b…HAHAHAHA!" He broke out in a fit of laughter. In fact, he was laughing so hard that he curled up on the ground. After a few minutes, Sonic's laughing fit stopped and he was on his way.

Just outside of Hill Top Zone, Silver the Hedgehog teleported directly into Sonic's path. Sonic came to a stop.

"Happy Birthday, Sonic!" said Silver.

Sonic was still a bit giggly. "Hey, how'd ya know it was my…heheheh…birthday today?"

"I'm a time traveler, duh! I'm always on time for people's birthdays!"

"All right, so…hohohoho…did ya bring me any gifts?"

"Well, I have this one gift…" Silver handed his gift to Sonic, which naturally, was wrapped in silver paper. "By the way, what's so funny?"

"Ah, nothin'," replied Sonic. "I guess I'm just feelin'…really happy today! Now, let's dig this…" He opened his gift, which was a book. To be precise, it was Flames of Disaster: The Definitive Guide to Coping With and Overcoming Symptoms of Being the Iblis Trigger, by Peter Q. Silverman, Ph.D. Contrary to what his little giggling spell might suggest, Sonic was not amused.

"Silver…is this supposed to be a joke or somethin'?" asked Sonic.

"Nope, it's not a joke!" replied Silver. "I know you've had a hard time dealing with this, so I decided to be a friend and help you out!"

"Hello, I'm not the Iblis…ehehehehehe…Trigger anymore! We already went through that jazz, remember?"

"It's no use! You can't deny it; you'll only make the symptoms worse!"

"But I'm not the Iblis Trigger! No jive!"

"Sonic, I'm only trying to help you! It's dangerous to hold back!"

"Are you…hoohoo…deaf!? I said I ain't…ah, forget it. Thanks for the present, Silver."

"You're welcome!"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm outta here!" With that, Sonic & Silver went their separate ways.

* * *

Sonic was doing all right, although he wasn't too sure about all those gifts that his friends were giving him today. Still, he had a few more friends that he had yet to meet. In no time at all, he encountered Blaze the Cat.

"Greetings, Sonic," said Blaze.

"Hi, Blaze," said Sonic.

"I received word that today is your birthday."

"Yep, I guess it is." Sonic seemed a little flat now that he'd stopped being so giggly.

"Is something amiss, Sonic?"

"Ah, nothin's wrong; today's just been weird, that's all."

"I see. Well, in honor of all that you have done for me, I present you with this gift."

"Thanks, Blaze." Sonic opened it, revealing a fine mahogany box with a crank on it. As if the crank wasn't already a giveaway, Sonic found out that this was a music box when he opened it.

"Hmmm…" said Sonic.

"Do you like it?" asked Blaze.

"So far, so good. Let's dig it!" Sonic turned the crank on the music box. As he did, it played the Star Light Zone melody from _Sonic 1_. He was captivated by the music.

"Far out!" said Sonic. "This is one of the best gifts I got today!"

"I am glad that you appreciate it," said Blaze.

"Ain't no thang! It's always way past cool to have somethin' to remember your friends by!"

"Indeed."

"OK, have a great day, Blaze! Check ya later!"

"Farewell, Sonic!" Once again, the Blue Blur parted ways.

* * *

After running but a few hundred feet, Sonic decided to sit down on a log and play with his music box. His emerald eyes shined brightly as the music took him away. This had to have been his favorite gift so far: No tricks, no weirdness, just a darling little memento.

"G'day, mate!" Sonic paid no attention to the person who just greeted him. The music had taken him that much higher.

"Oy, wake up, sleepyhead!" Sonic's attention was roused when Marine the Raccoon flicked his cheek.

"Heh…?" said Sonic. "Oh hey, Marine! Haven't seen ya in a while! How ya been?"

"I've been right!" replied Marine. "Say…unless I got a total furphy, then today must be your birthday, no?"

"Right on!"

"Well, she'll be ace! I just happen to have a prezzy 'ere for ya, Sonic!" Marine produced her gift for Sonic, who had a perplexed look on his face when he saw it.

"Well _geeeeeeeee_, I wonder what this _is_…" Sonic opened his gift, the shape of which made it all too obvious what it was: It was a boomerang, because the author couldn't be bothered to come up with a less stereotypical gift for Marine to give to Mr. Blue Streak.

"What do ya think?" asked Marine.

"This is keen!" replied Sonic. "Let's see how it does!" He threw the boomerang. While Ol' Blue was great at getting it to return to him as intended, he wasn't so good at catching it and stopping it from hitting him in the face.

"OW!" exclaimed Sonic. "Marine, ya didn't get me a defective boomerang by accident, did ya?"

"Rubbish!" said Marine. "This boomerang's fair dinkum! Even tested it meself!"

"That so? Ah, maybe I'm just not doin' it right. Let me try this again…" Sonic threw the boomerang again, and this time, he managed to catch it.

"Sweet! I could get used to this!" He threw it again, but it bonked him in the face this time.

"…That, or I could get a mondo hospital bill." Sonic rubbed the spot where the boomerang hit him.

"No worries, mate!" said Marine. "I'm sure you'll become an expert before yonks!"

"Eh, I guess you're right. Thanks for gettin' me this gift, Marine!"

"You're welcome, Sonic!" Marine gave Sonic a hug, and the blue speed demon returned it.

"And thanks for the birthday hug, too!" said Sonic. "Gotta bail, Snail!"

Marine waved as Sonic blasted away. "Hooroo!"

* * *

Within moments, Sonic was nearing the Great Forest. However, in the grasslands outside the forest, he was getting that weird feeling again. Naturally, he stopped and looked around, but nobody was there. He kept going, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't fight the feeling. At one point, Big Blue ducked behind a rock, hoping to lose whatever he thought might have been following him.

"Man, this is the creepiest birthday I've ever had!" said Sonic, droplets of sweat coming down his forehead. "Can't a dude just get some presents without feelin' like somebody's gonna murder him!?" After a few seconds' rest, he peeked out from behind the rock. Still nothing, so he ducked back.

"Maybe I should head back to Rouge's house. She did a wicked job of makin' me forget my troubles…" Sonic decided to think it over a little more.

"Happy Birthday, Sonic!" Sonic turned around and saw Espio the Chameleon.

"Espio!" exclaimed Sonic. "Can't ya cool it with the whole comin' outta nowhere thing? I almost had a heart attack!"

"What are you talking about?" queried Espio. "I have been following you this whole time."

Sonic sighed. "I shoulda expected that jazz from a character like you. So, where's the other guys?"

"Hiiiiii, Sonic!" Charmy Bee & Vector the Crocodile popped out from some nearby bushes.

"Happy Birthday, hotshot!" said Vector.

"Good to see ya!" said Sonic.

"We've been waitin' for ya, Blue Streak!" said Vector.

"Yeah, we've got an awesome gift for you!" exclaimed Charmy.

"Are ya sure about the 'awesome' part?" asked Sonic.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" exclaimed Vector.

"Nothin', man!" Sonic was a tad nervous.

"Please, calm down," said Espio. "I'm sure that Sonic meant no offense by that.

"Right on, Espio!" said Sonic.

"Ah, you're right. Sorry 'bout that," said Vector. "Guys, let's open up Sonic's gift!" The Chaotix went over to the bushes. When they tugged at the corners, it became obvious that it was only a realistic-looking camo net. Underneath this mass of foliage was Sonic's next gift: A cobalt blue 1970 Chevy Camaro RS Z/28 with white racing stripes. This rod looked like it had just come from the factory, except for the non-standard paint.

"A car?" queried Sonic.

"Isn't it awesome!?" exclaimed Charmy. "We worked really hard on it!"

"Indeed," said Espio. "There was a lot information available on the Camaro Z/28. If Vector had never found the computer room, then we might never have been able to restore it.

"Well, I…"

"You're gonna love what we did to this baby!" interrupted Vector. "It's got a 500 HP big block with a 4-speed & Hurst shifter! It's got cruise control, front & rear disc brakes, glasspacks, CD, cassette, 8-track, 4-track, MP3, DVD, VHS, N64…heck, I don't even remember half the stuff we put into this hot rod!"

"Hey, that's rad and all," said Sonic, "but I don't need a car. I'm the Fastest Thing Alive, remember?"

"Huh?" The Chaotix were all perplexed by Sonic's statement

"But wait…" said Vector, "Weren't ya drivin' a car in those All-Star Races?"

"Yes, and I also remember when you drove one in the Drift Championships," said Espio.

"That was different!" replied Sonic. "The only reason I ever drove a car was because somebody was payin' me a lotta money for that!"

"Well, we're payin' ya, too, big guy!" said Vector. "Only, we ain't payin' cash; we're payin' in gratitude!"

"Come on, I wanna ride in the car!" exclaimed Charmy. "Can we, Sonic!? Can we!? Can we!?"

Sonic paused for a few moments.

"All right…" he said. "Since it's my birthday and since you're bein' nice to me and all, I'll give it a spin."

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Charmy flew around and did all sorts of loop-de-loops in celebration. Once he calmed down, everybody got in the car. Vector called shotgun. Well…given his height of 5'10" and his massive bulk, he had to. Speaking of height, because Sonic was only 3'3", the Chaotix were nice enough to put in some seat boosters & pedal extenders so he could drive. There was just one problem…

"Wait…how do ya start this dude?" asked Sonic. "I don't see any start buttons!"

"They're called car keys, ya bozo!" Vector dangled the keys in front of Sonic. Ol' Blue grabbed them.

"Right, I got this…" Sonic started the car. "Buckle up, dudes!" He put it in first gear and hit the gas.

"Hey wait…" said Vector. "Don't go too…WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Vector was frightened out of his skull as Sonic put the pedal to the metal. The Blue Blur shifted through the gears with split-second precision as he sped through the grasslands and into the Great Forest. In contrast to Vector, Charmy was having lots of fun, while Espio just sat there, unfazed by the high speed. While blazing down the unpaved roads, Sonic guided the Z/28 through each turn with fluid accuracy. Then, he drove it through a bundle of foliage and ended up in a dark tunnel.

"Hey, where are we!?" demanded Vector. "Turn the lights on…TURN THE LIGHTS ON!"

"Okay!" replied Sonic, who managed to find the headlight switch in the dark. Partly because of the way the tunnel was designed, partly because of Sonic's knowledge of tunnels and partly because of luck, Big Blue managed to avoid crashing his Camaro in the tunnel before he could turn the lights on. Still barreling through with graceful force, the car exited on the other side with no damage to itself or the passengers. After exiting, Sonic turned the lights off. Eventually, they came to a dirt ramp.

"Hang on, this is gonna get wild!" exclaimed Sonic.

"Kid, what are ya doin!?" screamed Vector. "No, please don't…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHH!" Sonic drove the car off the ramp and got major air.


	5. Party On, Sonic

Ordinarily, the Z/28 would've gone nose-first and would've been horribly smashed upon landing, but the Chaotix were wise enough to put a ballast pack in the trunk for this sort of thing. When the car landed, the suspension took a major hit, but only one of the shocks was destroyed. For the most part, the car was unharmed. To be more exact, it landed in Knothole Village. Once Sonic shut the engine off, Vector wasted no time in getting out before everyone else.

"I'm alive! I'M ALIVE!" Vector kneeled down and threw his hands up towards the sky. "Oh, bless you, Lord!"

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screamed Charmy. "Sonic, that was SOOOOOO much fun! Can we do it again? Please? Please!? Pretty please!?"

"CAN IT!" shouted Vector.

"Man, that was far out!" said Sonic. "I don't always drive, but that was the best car I ever drove! Thanks, guys!"

"Next time, I'm gettin' you a sweater for your birthday, speed freak!" said Vector.

"Mellow out! You're still alive, ain't ya?"

"Sonic is right," said Espio. "Haven't we faced greater dangers before?"

Vector paused for a few moments.

"I guess you're right, Espio," he said. "But I'm never gettin' in a car with that maniac again!"

"Hey, you're the one who got it for me!" retorted Sonic. "Wait a sec…how come that crate didn't break when we hit the ground?"

"An excellent question," replied Espio. "After extensive research on suspension geometry & impact force, I had the idea to construct custom suspension & chassis components from…"

"All right, enough!" Sonic rolled his eyes. "Gee, and I thought Tails was goin' overboard with that…"

"Did you ask for me, Sonic?" Sonic & the Chaotix turned around, and sure enough, Miles "Tails" Prower was standing there.

"Tails, it's good to see ya, pal!" Sonic & Tails hugged each other.

"Happy Birthday, Sonic!" said Tails. "Say…that's a cool car! Did you get that for your birthday?"

"Of course I did!" said Sonic. "Even ask the Chaotix about it!"

Tails walked over and started checking out the car. "Wow…this is fascinating! I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before…"

"It's a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28," said Espio.

"A what?" Sally Acorn walked over. "Sonic, what's all the noise?"

"Sal, that 'noise' just happens to be a kickin' present that the Chaotix gave to me!" replied Sonic.

"Oh…" Sally rolled her eyes when she spotted the Camaro. "This must be one of your stupid toys, huh?"

Sonic chuckled at Sally. "Oh, you're killin' me!"

"Sonic, if you cause any trouble with that thing, I will be killing you! Huh…?"

Sally noticed that some of the other residents of Knothole were checking out the car, including Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine D'Coolette (or maybe it's Depardieu, depending on who you talk to) & Rotor Walrus.

"Hey Sonic, this is a cool car!" exclaimed Rotor.

"Yeah, this thing's hotter than a bottle of lamp oil in July!" said Bunnie.

"Oui, it is an icy car," said Antoine, "but we are having some things nicer for you!"

"Shucks, that's right!" said Bunnie. "Y'all haven't got our gifts yet, Sugar-Hog!"

"Then what are we waitin' for?" said Sonic. "Let's start opening some presents!"

"Hold on a minute, buster!" Sally held her index finger up. "Before we open any presents, you have to get your birthday cake. Guys, help me with the cake! Sonic, sit down at one of the picnic tables!"

"Gotcha." Sonic did so, while his friends went to the meeting house and returned with a large Black Forest chocolate cake, singing "Happy Birthday" to Sonic. Once the Blue Blur blue…er, blew out the candles, and just as everybody stopped cheering, a mechanical siren could be heard approaching Knothole. A couple of seconds later, a dark gray-and-white 1972 Plymouth Fury police car pulled up, and two humans stepped out of the car. The men were wearing suits, ties, fedoras and Aviator sunglasses.

"Who the heck are you guys?" asked Sonic.

"I'm Agent Krzezinski…" said the driver.

"…and I'm Agent Pesare…" said the other man.

"…and we're with the United Copyright Police." The two agents flashed their badges.

"What did we do?" asked Tails.

"Son, we received word of an unauthorized birthday song being sung in this village," replied Krzezinski.

"Unauthorized birthday song?" queried Sonic. "What kinda jive is that?"

"Yeah, we ain't singin' any unauthorized birthday songs around here, right!?" said Vector.

"Do any of you people know what the penalty for the unauthorized use of 'Happy Birthday' is?" asked Pesare.

Everyone was silent.

"According to Title 19, Section 91 of the Unauthorized Singing Practices Charter…" said Pesare.

"…any person or persons who willfully perform the song 'Happy Birthday' in an unlawful manner…" said Krzezinski.

"…shall be fined in an amount not exceeding 250,000 Mobiums…"

"…or receive a prison sentence not…ACK!" Krzezinski & Pesare were cut short when they were struck by poison darts from an unknown source. Both agents fell unconscious almost immediately.

Suddenly, Vector's eyebrows twitched. "Hey guys, I just remembered: Where's Espio!?"

"Were you looking for me, Master?" Espio emerged from some bushes, carrying a blowgun.

"Whoa…that impresses me every time!" said Sonic.

"Impresses ya!?" exclaimed Vector. "Espio, we can't go around killin' cops! That's bad for business!"

"No, they're not dead," said Espio. "Those darts were coated with Potassium Tetratrychtate. It merely simulates the effect of death by shutting down the body temporarily. They'll wake up soon, but they won't remember what happened or why they got here."

Tails stroked his chin. "Interesting."

"Well _thanks_, pal!" said Vector. "I feel _much_ better now!"

"You're welcome." Espio took a bow before returning to the table.

"Well, what are we waitin' for!?" said Sonic. "Let's have some cake!"

After everyone had eaten a slice of cake, Sonic asked, "So, when can I open my gifts?"

"We can open them right now if you want," replied Sally.

"Groovy! Let's get to it, then!"

Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor & Tails all returned with their presents for Sonic, each varying in size, with Tails' being the largest.

"So, whose present do you want to open first?" asked Sally.

"How about _mine_?" said an unexpected visitor…


	6. What, Did You Forget Him?

Everybody turned around to see who their next uninvited guest was and gasped when they saw him: It was none other than Mephiles the Dark, the Demon God of Soleanna. Currently, he was in his "Shadow" form, the one he first took when he was first released from the Scepter of Darkness.

"What the…?" said Sonic. "How did you…"

"Pay no heed to that," said Mephiles. "Now, if you presumed that I was here to cast your celebration into a state of anarchy, then you are sorely mistaken. I've decided to dispense with such vile fascinations for today."

"Oh really?" Sonic got up and raised his fists.

"Please, spare me this abhorrence. Today is supposed to be a jovial occasion, is it not?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be, but considering the jazz that's happened to me today, I wouldn't be surprised if ya had somethin' funny planned for me!"

"I assure you, I've no ploys or pranks intended for you at the moment. You may find out for yourself." Mephiles presented his present to Sonic. It was a small square box with dark blue wrapping paper and a light blue ribbon that was glowing.

"Well…since it's my birthday, I guess I gotta accept your gift, huh?" said Sonic.

"A sensible decision," said Mephiles.

Sonic unclenched his fists and slowly reached for his gift. After he took it from Mephiles, he – ever so slowly – moved his hand towards the ribbon. Before he could tear at it, it disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Ol' Blue paused for a second before tearing through the wrapping paper, revealing a charcoal gray cardboard box with a lid on it. Still playing cautiously, he took the lid off and removed his gift from the packing peanuts within. In his hand, Sonic held a medicine bottle…but this wasn't medicine. First of all, the purple liquid inside was giving off an unearthly glow. As if that wasn't suspicious, the label was clearly marked with a skull + crossbones symbol & the word "POISON" underneath.

"Wha…?" said Sonic. "What do I need this stuff for?"

"You'd be surprised at how useful this toxicant can be," replied Mephiles.

"Riiiiight. Well…thanks for the gift, Mephiles. Oh…and thanks for not messin' with our party, either!"

"You're welcome. I wish you a most prosperous future. Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog." Mephiles gave Sonic a hug. The Blue Blur was surprised by this act of affection, so he didn't move at first, but then he weakly returned the gesture. After spending a few tender seconds with Sonic, Mephiles let go of him and walked a few paces before doing a ballerina spin, disappearing in a puff of black smoke. All the partygoers just sat there, perplexed by the events that came to pass. After a few moments, Sonic broke the silence:

"Hey, don't take a trip on me! Let's open those presents, eh?" After a second, everyone snapped out of it and got back on track.

"All right!" said Sonic. "Now that it's time, I'm gonna open your gift first, Sal!" He wasted no time in taking her gift and opening it. It was a DVD boxset of _Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to Barry Manilow_.

"Heh…?" Sonic raised his eyebrow. "What's this about, then?"

"Well," said Sally, "lately you've been talking about how you wanted to mix up your exercise routine, so I figured that would be the perfect gift for you!"

Vector & Charmy giggled.

"Sal, this ain't exactly my idea of 'mixin' it up'," said Sonic. "I don't mean to insult you or nothin'…I mean, I know ya meant well, but…"

"Just give it a try, Sonic."

"OK…sure. Bunnie, what have ya got for me?"

"Here ya go!" said Bunnie. Sonic opened Bunnie's gift. Inside the neon pink wrapping paper was a copy of _Backdraft 64_ for Nintendo 64.

"Hey, I've seen this game before!" said Sonic. "I've been wantin' to try this one for a while!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Right on! I bet it'll be really hot! Now, let's see your gift, Antoine!"

"Of course!" said Antoine. Sonic got an 8x10-inch color glossy photo of Antoine wearing his best uniform, autographed by Antoine himself. The photo was encased in a hand-crafted picture frame of 24 karat gold.

"Hey Ant, why are ya givin' me a picture of you?" asked Sonic.

"Ah, I was wanting you to never be without a souvenir of my lateness!" replied Antoine.

"I think you mean, 'greatness'," said Rotor.

"I know what I am meaning!" exclaimed Antoine.

"All right, enough bickering!" said Vector.

_(Well, it's nice to know that Antoine hasn't changed)_ thought Sally.

"OK Rote," said Sonic, "it's time I opened your gift!"

"Go right ahead!" said Rotor. This one was some sort of pan that had a lid, a built-in heating element & a timer.

"Whoa, this is a funky-lookin' pan…" said Sonic.

"It's a self-cooking pancake pan!"

"Really? This is super fly! Can ya cook more than one pancake with this?"

"Unfortunately not; I'm still working on that."

"Hey Sonic," said Charmy, "I love pancakes! Can we cook some pancakes right now? Huh!? Huh!?"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Vector.

"Please, calm down, Master!" said Espio. "Charmy, Sonic will cook us some pancakes when we're done with the party."

"Yeah, I guess…" said Sonic.

"WHOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Charmy zipped around, while Vector facepalmed.

"And last, but most definitely not least…" said Sonic, "…I wanna see what my best buddy got me!"

"You're gonna love it, Sonic!" said Tails. "Come on, open it!"

"What else would I be doin'?" After tearing off the blue wrapping paper, Sonic opened the box, a box so big that it couldn't fit on the table. And what did Ol' Blue's best buddy get him? A case full of Super Putty adhesive.

"Heh? What do I do with this stuff?" asked Sonic.

"Sonic, I know how you've always wanted a powerful adhesive that holds strong and lasts long, so I got you this!" replied Tails. "You'll never run out for a long time!"

"Tails, I never said that!"

"Are you sure? I'm positive you asked for something like this…" Tails scratched his head.

"Really, what am I gonna do with a case full of super glue?"

"It's actually an epoxy, not a glue," said Espio. "Regardless, it's an extremely versatile adhesive."

Sonic shrugged. "Same difference, Espio." He put his hand on Tails' shoulder. "Tails, don't get me wrong here. I know ya tried, and believe me, I really dig it, man! I'm sure I'll find a use for this super epic glue…"

"Epoxy" said Tails.

"…Right. Anyways, I just wanna say that I'm real happy that ya got this stuff for me! Only you could've gone through so much trouble to get a gift like this for me!"

"A-HEM!" Vector had his arms crossed.

"Oh…sorry Vector!" said Sonic. "Anyways, I also wanna say that even though I got some wacky stuff today, I know that all of ya care about me enough to get me some one-of-a-kind gifts! Thanks, dudes!"

"You're welcome, Sonic!" Tails gave Sonic a hug. Everyone else followed suit. The Blue Blur always enjoyed group hugs…so long as they were with the right group of people, naturally.

After the group hug, Sonic said, "Well, it's been one heck of a birthday, but I'm gonna go chill now! Catch ya on the flip side!"

"Hold it, Sonic!" said Sally. "We're not done yet!"

"Heh?"

"We have one more gift for you!"

"One more gift?"

"This one's from all of us, Sonic!" said Tails.

"Yeah, we worked really hard on this one!" said Rotor.

"That a fact?" queried Sonic. "Well, let's go unwrap it!"

Sally giggled. "Oh Sonic, you never fail to amuse me with your patience!"

So, Sally led everybody to the meeting house. Next to the building was Sonic's last gift. It was a rather large gift, covered up by a tarp.

"This oughta be interesting," said Sonic.

"OK everyone, let's unwrap it!" said Sally. So, Sonic, Tails, Sally and the gang pulled up the stakes that were holding the tarp down and removed it. Underneath the tarp, there was a statue of Sonic & Tails. This statue depicted Sonic doing his trademark finger pose and Tails waving "hi". The pedestal had a plaque affixed to it, which had a message written in gold embossed letters. The message read:

"**FROM THIS VILLAGE, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG AND MILES "TAILS" PROWER CARRIED OUT THEIR MISSION TO BRING PEACE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS TO THE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.**

**MAY THEIR MEMORY AND SOULS FOREVER BE HONORED.**"

Sonic was absolutely stunned. "Y…you guys all did this? For me?"

"Yeah!" replied Bunnie. "What do y'all think?"

"It's…it's…beautiful!" Sonic fell to his knees, holding his hands over his heart. Tails & Sally went over to his side.

"Are you all right, Sonic?" asked Sally.

"Am I?" replied Sonic. "I-I am floored, baby! This is so far out! I knew you guys cared, but I never figured ya cared this much! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! All of you!"

"Oh, it was no things," said Antoine. "I am only too mad to be honoring you with my artistic gory!"

"It's 'glad' and 'glory'," said Rotor.

"I only have one thing to say about this…" said Sonic. "Are any of you folks sure that anyone else is gonna see this statue? I mean, it is in the forest…"

"Why do you ask?" asked Sally.

"Well…our mission against Robotnik ain't gonna last forever, so once all the carnage is done, do ya think it's right to reveal Knothole's location to the world so people can see this thing?"

Sally tapped her chin. "Hmmm…interesting question…"

"Don't worry, Sonic!" said Tails. "I'm sure lots of people will get to see it someday!"

"I'm sure you're right, lil' buddy!" said Sonic.

Just then, the sweet strains of "The Liberty Bell March" could be heard approaching Knothole. Sonic & co. turned towards the general direction of the sound. Louder and louder it became, until its source became apparent: Yep, Amy & Cream's little parade had finally come to Knothole. They came to a stop next to the two cars. Amy & Cream jumped off of their float and went over to the group.

"Hey Sonic," said Amy, "what are you guys…" She & Cream gasped when they saw the statue. "Ohmigosh, that is too awesome, Sonic! You totally deserve this statue!" Amy then gave Sonic a big hug & kiss. Sally glared at her.

After her initial shock wore off, Cream became depressed. Sonic took notice of this and broke away from Amy. "Yo Cream, what's the matter?"

"Oh…it's nothing…" replied Cream, "…it's just that this gift is so much nicer than the one I found during the parade."

Sonic put his hand on her shoulder. "Please, don't get bent outta shape! This is supposed to be a happy day! I'm sure that whatever else ya got for me is gonna be real fly! Now…what did ya get for me, exactly?"

"Here." Cream gave Sonic a bunch of cobalt blue flowers. Each flower had six petals and a bright green head. Once again, Ol' Blue was floored.

"Cream…t-these are beautiful! Thank you very much!" Sonic gave Cream a hug.

"You're welcome, Mr. Sonic! I'm glad you like them!"

"Anytime! Now, if you'll excuse me…" Sonic rushed back to his hut, put the flowers in a vase and rushed back out.

"There!" said Sonic. "Now that I took care of those, how's about we…"

Just then, Rouge flew in and landed next to Sonic.

"Hey, I see we've got a nice little gathering here!" said Rouge. "Wow…that's a nice statue, Big Blue!"

"Yeah, isn't it way past cool?" queried Sonic.

"It sure is! You & Fox Boy must've done a very good job to get this kind of reward! Congratulations!"

Rouge put her hand on Sonic's shoulder. Her touch caused him to collapse into another trance. Most of the group was shocked. Tails, Sally, Amy & Cream rushed to his aid.

"Oh no! SONIC!" exclaimed Amy.

"Are you OK?" asked Tails.

"Mr. Sonic, please wake up!" said Cream.

"Sonic, respond!" Sally then turned to Rouge. "Rouge, what did you do to him!?"

"What!? I was just congratulating him!" replied Rouge.

"If you hurt him, I'm gonna pound you silly!" exclaimed Amy.

"Hey, it's not my fault that he flew off to La La Land!"

Meanwhile, Tails & Cream were still attending to Sonic.

"Mr. Sonic, what happened?" queried Cream.

"Ooh…the colors…" Sonic still wore that goofy little grin on his face.

Tails held up three of his fingers. "Sonic, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Sonic stared at them for a few seconds. "Ooooh…fishies!" He tried to grab Tails' fingers, but Tails pulled them away.

"Guys, I don't think we should be worried," said Tails. "He just looks so happy right now."

"Hmph, some friend _you _are!" Amy crossed her arms. "This is _my_ Sonikku we're talking about here!" _(Wait, did I just call him "Sonikku"?)_ thought Amy._ (Where the heck did I get that from?)_

"Oh, SHUT UP!" shouted Sally & Rouge. Then, Sally turned to Rouge & said, "No, you shut up!"

Rouge pointed her finger at Sally. "No, you shut up!"

"No, _you_ shut up!"

"No, _you_ shut up!"

While all of this was going on, Vector turned to the rest of the Chaotix and shrugged. "Hey, I don't know about youse, but I'm gettin' tired of this riff-raff! I'm outta here."

"But I want pancakes!" cried Charmy.

"OK, OK!" exclaimed Vector. "We'll go to IHOP!"

"YAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Charmy zipped and zapped and did all sorts of celebratory stunts.

"Pardon me, Messieurs," said Antoine, "but if it is OK with you, then I should like to be going for these clambakes, too."

"Pancakes!" said Vector.

"Oui…"

Vector scratched his head. "I don't know…"

"Master, if it's all right with you, I'll pay," said Espio. "I'm positive that I have enough money with me at the moment."

"Ah…all right. Come on fellas, let's go!"

Charmy flew towards Sonic's Camaro.

"WE'RE NOT TAKING THE CAR, BUZZ BRAIN!" shouted Vector. Charmy flew back. Then, Antoine & the Chaotix headed out for IHOP, trying to distance themselves from further weirdness. On the bright side, at least the cake wasn't a lie.


	7. Sonic Says

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sally & all the other Heroes were having a huge party in Knothole. There was plenty of good food, good beverages, good music and good times. However, not everything was perfect…

"Ohhh…I don't feel so good…" said Knuckles, holding his hands over his stomach. "I'm going back to Angel Island…"

"Hold on there, Knuckster!" said Sonic, who walked over to Tails. "Yo, Tails!"

"What do you want, Sonic?" asked Tails.

"I don't think Knuckles is gonna make it back home on his own tonight. Would ya mind flyin' him back home?"

"Sure, Sonic! I can make it!" The Two-Tailed Wonder helped Knuckles over to the Tornado 2, while Sonic turned to address the audience:

"Now, I enjoy a good party as much as the next hedgehog," he said, "but no matter how happenin' the party is, things can go wrong. For example, if you or somebody ya know can't make it back home by yourselves, do the right thing! Either designate somebody else to take ya home or just crash at the host's – or hostess' – pad! Either way, make it a night to remember for the right reasons!"


	8. Epilogue

200 years later, Knothole Town was a thriving little town in Mobius. Although it had grown a bit, it still hadn't forgotten its forest roots. For anyone who wanted to stay in touch with nature, Knothole was still one of the best places for that.

Shadow the Hedgehog was skating around when he noticed the statue of Sonic & Tails. He stopped to take a look at it & the plaque.

"Hmph." Shadow crossed his arms. _(How pathetic.)_ he thought._ (They put in less effort than me and they get this wretched statue. All I got was a stupid medal…)_ He departed for his next destination.

A couple of moments later, Silver was walking by when he saw the statue. Captivated, he looked at the statue first, and then read the plaque.

"Thanks, guys." Silver put his right hand over his heart and kept looking at the statue. He stood motionless, remembering all those times that Sonic & Tails had been there for him.

While Silver reflected upon his long-gone friends, Alura the Cat approached him. She was a neon green cat with black stripes on her face. She wore a sleeveless gray bodysuit, black/gray shoes & a bunch of jelly bracelets.

"Silver, are you OK?" asked Alura.

Silver snapped out of his pensive state. "Huh? Oh…I'm fine."

"You sure about that?"

Silver tried to smile. "Yes! I-I'm great…thank you!" _(Although I feel pretty lonely without Sonic & Tails here to visit me in the future,)_ he thought. _(Maybe I'll take them here someday. It would be nice if I could show them how much of a difference they've made…)_


End file.
